Dear John,
My husband loves pizza. He is also a fan of yours, and says it’s okay to eat as much as he likes because it’s vegetarian. I’m afraid because he eats so much cheese on his pizza that he’s going to have a heart attack. He particularly likes stuffed crust pizzas. What can I tell him about cheese and pizza that will help him to cut back?
Audrey
Dear Audrey,
A few months ago the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) released a study they titled “More cheese on your pizza means more crust in your arteries.”
According to the study, a single serving of plain cheese pizza contains 50% of your daily value for saturated fat. This is true, but understates the problem. Bear in mind that the daily value is set far too high for optimum health, as a concession to the enormous political power of the dairy and meat industries (the primary purveyors of saturated fat in the American diet). Besides, few people stop at a single slice of pizza.
You said your husband particularly likes stuffed crust pizzas. That’s too bad, because stuffed crust pizzas are particularly bad. These pizzas have cheese directly injected into the pizza’s crust. The lead author of CSPI’s study, Jane G. Hurley, said, “You need cheese stuffed into a pizza crust like you need reverse liposuction to force more fat under your skin.”
I don’t know what you can say to help your husband, although of course I hope you show this to him. What would happen if you told him that you loved him, and want him to be around a long time living a healthy and happy life, and you are concerned that his cheese consumption might undermine his life? What would happen if you asked him if there is anything you can do to help him eat more healthfully? I’d imagine he might have some interesting things to say.
Yours for a healthy future,
John
